When working in an application, users often have the need to run another application (such as a mail application, a presentation, agenda, etc.) or to execute a specific action represented by a string of characters. The problem is that when the user reads a string of characters that he/she needs for another purpose, he/she must make a separate note including this string, or copy this string in a clipboard and then paste it in another application.
According to the prior art, the hyperlink function provides the ability to start a web browser from a specific string of characters in a text. The example hereafter illustrates this prior art. The fact of writing “www.” followed by other characters such as “ibm.com” is automatically recognized in an office application like Lotus® WordPro as a web page, and the string is outlined in blue and underlined. Once the mouse cursor is on the string, when the user clicks on or executes a sequence of keys (Ctrl/click), he/she automatically opens a web browser such as Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Internet Explorer, and opens the written url. This ability must be set in the program where the string is written. For a text written with Microsoft® Word, the automatic formatting of hyperlinks must be kept “on” in the settings by selecting “tools”—“autocorrect options”—tab “Autoformat as you type”—and select “Internet and network paths with hyperlinks.”
Another possibility is to use a hyperlink associated with an e-mail address, for instance genius@emc2.de. In this particular case, a Ctrl/click action will open the user's favorite mail application, and will allow him to send a mail to the owner of this mail address.
The two examples above show that it is possible to start unique applications, based on a specific and fixed string of characters, which has been previously associated with the unique application. There is no way of performing this function other than opening a web browser for a web address, and writing an e-mail for a mail address.
Other prior art examples may be found, such as the ability to click on a phone number when running a specific phone application, but in all cases the scheme is the following: within a specific application or program, inputting a specific string of characters to allow the user to reach a unique application, and always the same application.